How the problems work
Pick topics and a number of problems. Each set gets a code, and a class link carries the code, topics and conversions, so every student who opens it gets the same numbers. Patients have realistic weights, and doses come out in syringe-sized volumes and real tablet sizes.
Answers are worked at full precision and rounded once, at the end, to the rounding each question states. If you round the weight in kg first, you still get credit and a note. If you used a different conversion, like 2.2046 instead of 2.2, you get a hint instead of credit.
Why 2.2 matters: the Sophie question
A state FFA vet science handbook gives this sample: Sophie weighed 43.2 lb last time and 19 kg today. 19 × 2.2 = 41.8 lb, so she lost 1.4 lb, the handbook's answer. With 2.2046 you get 41.89 lb and 1.3 lb, which a key built on 2.2 marks wrong. Try five conversion problems.
Conversions and where they come from
| Conversion | Default | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pounds per kg | 2.2 | 2012 National FFA vet science math key; New Mexico FFA chart. NIST: 1 lb = 0.4535924 kg, so 1 kg = 2.20462 lb. |
| Fluid ounce | 30 mL | Same two sheets; Texas FFA rubric. NIST: 29.57353 mL. |
| Teaspoon, tablespoon | 5 mL, 15 mL | 2012 national sheet; New Mexico chart. |
| Grain | 64.8 mg | NIST: 64.79891 mg. Some drug labels use 60 or 65 mg. |
| Percent solution | 1% = 10 mg/mL | New Mexico chart; VetTechPrep handout. |
| Maintenance fluids | 60 mL/kg/day dogs, 40 cats | 2024 AAHA Fluid Therapy Guidelines, Table 9 (with the other two formulas). |
| Drip rate | mL × gtt/mL ÷ minutes | VetTechPrep handout. |
Sources checked October 23, 2026.
Questions
Do I divide by 2.2 or 2.2046?
Use what your course or contest uses. FFA vet science sheets and most vet tech courses use 1 kg = 2.2 lb, and the answer keys are built on it. 2.2046 is closer to the exact 2.20462. Pick either under "Conversions this sheet uses" and it prints on the worksheet.
How do you calculate a dose in mL?
Change the weight to kg, multiply by the dose in mg/kg to get mg, then divide by the concentration in mg/mL. A 44 lb dog is 20 kg. At 5 mg/kg that is 100 mg, and with a 50 mg/mL drug you draw up 2 mL.
How do you turn a percent solution into mg/mL?
Multiply the percent by 10. A 1% solution has 1 g in 100 mL, which is 10 mg/mL, so a 2.27% solution has 22.7 mg/mL and a 50% solution has 500 mg/mL.
How do you work out drops per minute?
Multiply the mL by the drops per mL of the set, then divide by the minutes. 1,000 mL over 8 hours on a 15 gtt/mL set is 15,000 drops over 480 minutes, about 31 drops a minute. Common sets are 10, 15 and 20 gtt/mL, and 60 for a microdrip set.
Which maintenance fluid formula is right?
The 2024 AAHA guidelines list three for dogs: 60 mL/kg/day, 132 × kg^0.75, or 30 × kg + 70 mL per day. For cats: 40 mL/kg/day, 80 × kg^0.75, or the same 30 × kg + 70. They give different numbers, so use the one your class teaches.
What is on the FFA vet science math practicum?
State handbooks use the same wording: questions "may include conversions, dose calculations, dilutions, cost calculations and invoices." Timing varies: New Jersey (December 2022) gives 30 minutes for a 100-point exam, one 2026-27 handbook has 10 questions in 50 minutes, and North Dakota (March 2026) has 5 in 20 minutes. FFA practicum mix picks those topics.
How do I give my whole class the same problems?
Set the topics, number of problems and conversions, then tap Share with class and send the link. It always opens the same set, even if the defaults here change later. Print the answer key for yourself.
Practice arithmetic only. The patients, drugs and doses are made up so the numbers work; they are not dosing advice. Always follow the veterinarian's order and your clinic's protocols.
Sources: New Jersey FFA Veterinary Science CDE handbook, rev. 12-20-22 (PDF); North Dakota FFA Veterinary Science CDE rules, March 2026 (PDF); state FFA Veterinary Science handbook, 2026-27 (PDF); 2012 National FFA Vet Science math practicum key and conversions (PDF); New Mexico FFA vet science conversion chart (PDF); Texas FFA conversions rubric (PDF); VetTechPrep Medical Calculations, 2022 (PDF); 2024 AAHA Fluid Therapy Guidelines tables (PDF); Merck Veterinary Manual, maintenance fluid plan; NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.9.